Union minister against easing Delhi curbs after CM’s ‘time to reopen’ remark

On Sunday evening, Arvind Kejriwal said the Delhi government will suggest to the Centre that only containment areas in the city be declared as red zones and not the entire district.

A day after Arvind Kejriwal’s “time to reopen Delhi” remark, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said minimum relaxations should be given by the Delhi government to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection.

Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan. (Photo ANI)

The Centre last week extended the nationwide lockdown, necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, by another two weeks, till May 17. However, it has provided some relaxations depending upon the colour-coded - red, orange, green - zones.

The minister hesitated in voicing his opinion, lest it be given a political twist.

“It would not be right for me to comment as it will be seen as a political statement. On a personal level, I think a lot needs to be done to halt the spread of the coronavirus. In this lockdown 3, I think that minimum relaxations should be given by the Delhi government. But this decision has to be taken by the state. Guidelines have been issued by the home ministry but the states are free to decide,” the minister told reporters.

Watch l ‘Delhi should have minimum relaxations’: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

On Sunday evening, Arvind Kejriwal said the Delhi government will suggest to the Centre that only containment areas in the city be declared as red zones and not the entire district. At present, all 11 districts in the city have been declared as red zones.

“The time has come to re-open Delhi. We will have to be ready to live with coronavirus. The lockdown was necessary to contain Covid-19, but Delhi is fully ready to relax lockdown restrictions,” the Delhi chief minister said.

Delhi has been under lockdown since March 23.

The chief minister said coronavirus is going nowhere and it is impossible that cases of coronavirus will be zero.

“Corona(virus) has come. It is impossible that there will be no cases of coronavirus because it has not happened across the country,” he said.

Highlighting the adverse impact of coronavirus on the exchequer, Kejriwal said in April 2019, the government earned Rs 3,500 crore while in April this year, it only received Rs 300 crore. He said the Centre has put the entire Delhi under red zone due to which markets, malls cannot open.

“We have suggested the Centre to seal those areas where cases of coronavirus have been reported and rest of areas can be allowed for the operation of all activities,” he said.